This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A West Valley City woman was charged Thursday with murdering her mother by allegedly starting a fire outside the door of the victim's second-story bedroom last week.
Loralie Kathie Querbach, 46, was charged in 3rd District Court with aggravated murder and aggravated arson, both first-degree felonies.
On June 5 about 12:45 a.m., 64-year-old Kathie Thomas called 911, reporting her house was on fire and that she was trapped in her bedroom on the second floor of the home, charges state.
When firefighters arrived at the house, near 7000 West and Bonnie Arlene Drive (3710 South), they saw heavy flames pouring from a bedroom window on the house's upper floor and found Thomas dead inside, police said.
Querbach, who also lived in the home, was allegedly standing outside and told first responders, "I confess," charges state. Querbach was carrying a tote bag containing framed photos and personal effects, according to charges.
Fire investigators determined the fire had originated in the hallway at the base of Thomas' door. According to charges, Querbach told police she started the fire by stacking a large pile of crumpled paper in front of the door, lighting a pair of pants on fire with the stove and laying the burning pants on top of the papers.
Querbach told police she knew her mother's door was locked and that the windows in the bedroom were blocked, preventing any escape, charges say. Although there were four other residents in the home — including Querbach's juvenile son — she did not warn the others.
Querbach's son told officers that before he went to bed, between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on June 4, his mother had asked him to sleep outside with her, but he declined. The boy said he woke up about 1 a.m. and saw a pile of items on fire by his grandmother's bedroom door, charges state. The boy attempted to put out the fire, but it was spreading too fast. The boy went outside and saw Querbach walking around, carrying her tote.
Another man living at the house told police that he woke up to hear Thomas screaming. He ran to the stairs and saw Thomas' door engulfed in flames, charges state. He attempted to extinguish the fire with buckets of water, but the fire "became too large and too hot," charges say. The man told police that when he had first run upstairs, he saw Querbach in the kitchen, who looked like she was giggling.
The week before the fire, Querbach and Thomas had been in an argument, the man told police, and Querbach threatened to burn the house down.
An autopsy determined Thomas died of thermal burns and smoke inhalation, and that the manner of death was homicide, charges state. No one else was injured in the fire.
Court records show that Querbach, also identified as Loralie Thomas, has a history of misdemeanor-level drug, disorderly conduct and shoplifting charges. She also has a history of domestic violence.
Querbach pleaded guilty to class B misdemeanor child abuse in March 2016. She was convicted of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, after beating her sister, who lived with her, with a belt in 2012. She also was convicted of a class B misdemeanor assault involving domestic violence in 2011.
She is being held without bail at the Salt Lake County jail. No court date has been set.
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